Home » Discover Italy » Marche
Surprising and wonderful in its diversity, this region of central Italy, with its harmonious and winding shape, displays its beauty on all sides: cliffs and caves overlook unforgettable beaches, hills steeped in history, tradition and culture, against a backdrop of mountains with well-equipped facilities for ski lovers.
The region is in the main comprised of hills and mountains, embracing the Adriatic side of the Umbria-Marche Appennines, but with low-lying, sandy beaches. How could anyone forget the the long expanse of fine golden sands surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Senigallia, with its numerous lidos and pleasant walks along the shore, especially at sunset.
No less lovely are Gabicce mare, Pesaro, Fano, Civitanova Marche and San Benedetto del Tronto, just perfect if you’re looking to unwind and recharge in one of the many resorts that were fashionable even in the nineteenth century for the upper-class. For those who love extreme nature, on the other hand, the Conero Riviera offers amazing views and patches of still unspoilt land, which at times can only be reached by sea or via paths carved out of the green Mediterranean scrub.
The Marche protects its natural environment through its National and Regional nature reserves, the oases of the WWF reserves; while the Monti Sibillini and Monti della Laga National Parks are a peerless spectacle for trekking enthusiasts. Don’t miss the Frasassi Caves, a must-see for tourists from all over Europe and of great interest to cavers because of the karst, that is dissolved limestone layers, landscape created by these awe-inspiring caves, some of which have been lived in since time began.
Orchards and vineyards as far as the eye can see cover the hills of Piceno and extend through the Esino Valley, surrounding farmhouses with the hospitality of times gone by where you can rediscover the simple taste of genuine food. Manor houses or old sharecroppers’ farms, now used as holiday farms, and tell tales of a way of life no longer seen.
The provinces of the region are: Ancona (regional capital), Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, Pesaro and Urbino.
This region’s great past can be seen in its cities-of-art, enchanting piazzas resembling salons for people to meet and discuss the issues of the day, the medieval towns where time seems to stand still, the highways and elegant buildings.
Ascoli Piceno is one of Italy’s monumental cities, with its medieval historic centre and the Piazza del Popolo, adorned by arched open galleries, and the imposing bulk of the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo with its crenellated tower. Visit the various workshops of local craftsmen, like those of violin-makers, which attest to the skill and creativity of Ascoli’s inhabitants. On the first Sunday of August, the streets of the town act as a background to the memorable “Quintana”, where expert horsemen challenge each other at the Joust of the Saracen.
Ancona, an ancient port hub known as the “Gateway to the East”, takes care of its valuable monuments and welcoming beach. The Cathedral of San Ciriaco rises on the site of an ancient Greek acropolis and is considered as one of the most interesting medieval churches in the Marche.
The Marche too, with the historic centre of Urbino, is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the Palazzo Ducale represents an engaging architectural and artistic example of the Italian Renaissance.
Another town to visit is Gradara with its fortress, a magnificent example of medieval military architecture and the place where, legend has it, Paolo and Francesca kissed, as written in the fifth canto of Dante’s Inferno. For religious tourism, the sanctuary of Maria di Loreto is an important stop, as it is considered one of the major pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world.
If you love classical music, Pesaro in August hosts two weeks of complete immersion into the music of Gioacchino Rossini, who came from Pesaro. The Rossini Opera Festival has become an unmissable appointment for classical music lovers from all over the world, with the stunning setting of a town where there’s more on offer than culture alone.
Devotees of sweets and chocolates, then you can’t beat Fano during Carnival. Its origins buried in the mists of time, Fano’s Carnival has at least three distinguishing features: the throwing of sweets to the crowd from the allegorical floats, the traditional “vulon”, a mask that caricatures the town’s best-known characters, and the “musica Arabica”, a band whose instruments consist of tin cans, coffee pots and jugs.
The sea and the mountains of this region are a perfect combination for those who love to move freely and plunge both into the limpid waters of the sea and the greenery of its nature reserves.
These reserves occupy a large part of the area designated as a protected area. The Marche, with the Monti Sibillini National Park, the Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga National Parks, regional parks and natural reserves, offers astonishing landscapes with important flora and fauna. Here you can enjoy birdwatching, catching glimpses of golden eagles, peregrine falcons and eagle owls, while trekking enthusiasts can take long walks through the woods and forests. There again, take the chance to go horse-riding, canoeing and mountain biking. You can also cycle along pleasant routes to discover natural, historical and cultural wonders beauties, as well as the typical food specialties of the region.
To those who enjoy skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing, the Apennines have over nine ski resorts, snow parks and cross-country trails of varying length and difficulty. The Ice Palace in Ussita will thrill all ice-skaters.
You cannot miss a trip to the Conero, the magnificent formation which falls under the protection of the regional Park of the same name, stretching to the south of the town. Conero, with Portonovo, Stirolo and Numana, is the riviera of the inhabitants of Ancona; its high, rugged coastline and splendid sea make it one of the most charming sea resorts on the Italian coast. The seabed facing the Conero, rocky with some sandy areas, is rich in animal and vegetable species and therefore highly attractive to scuba-divers.
Again in Ancona, during the first ten days of May, the whole town celebrates the Fair of St. Ciriaco, the Patron saint of the town. For four days, the town is happily invaded by hundreds of stalls, craft fairs, local food stands, street entertainers and pavement artists. Music lovers will enjoy AnconaJazz, the main festival in the Marche dedicated to this highly successful music genre, which attracts international stars to the city.
Food in the Marche is not just one particular type, but rather a blend of the flavours and tastes of the whole region, all with their own unique element The typical “coarseness” of the hinterland can be tasted in meat dishes like roast suckling-pig and marinated lamb. Next come dishes created around truffles, like those of Acqualagna and Sant’Agata Feltria, and mushrooms. Among the first courses we find pasta - tagliatelle, strozzapreti (priest strangler)and the traditional vincisgrassi, the ancestor of all lasagne in the whole Italian peninsula.
The fresh, sweet flavour of the sea can be recognised in various fish dishes – the undisputed champion of these is brodetto, a fish soup with more than 14 fish species, enhanced with tomatoes around Pesaro and Ancona, and saffron in Ascoli.
Ascoli’s signature dish is the fritto misto all’ ascolana” , with a medley of fried food, stuffed olives, cream, zucchini, artichokes and lamb chops. The most famous desserts are ciambellotto con i funghetti all’anice (a ring-shaped cake with aniseed), cicerchiata (deep fried dough with honey), and fried ravioli stuffed with chestnuts, cream and ricotta cheese. Also a must to try is the pecorino sheep’s cheese from Talamello wrapped in walnut leaves and ripened in tuff caves (formed by limestone and calcium), ham, dried cured loin of pork, and brawn salame.
Food is accompanied by the wines of Ascoli Piceno: the white Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, the red Rosso Piceno and Rosso Piceno Superiore, and finally sweet wine, stored in wooden casks, with a Mediterranean hint of the aniseed-flavoured liqueurs, anisette and mistrà
Everchanging, untouched landscapes in the green of winding valleys make Umbria a region that will never fail to amaze. This region comprises mainly hills, mountains, hollows and plains and extends along the Tiber’s central basin. At the heart of the boot, it is the only region with no ...
Liguria is in the north-west of Italy and borders with France. This region has impressive mountains and sweet hills, colored by the green Mediterranean turf and overlooking the Ligurian Sea with high and indented coasts. This region has multiple facets, different yet indissolubly bound ...
Abruzzo is located in central Italy and stretches from the heart of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, on a mainly mountainous and wild land. In the mountains, tourist resorts and well-equipped facilities for skiing and winter sports rise among unpolluted peaks and rocky walls, like ...
Aosta Valley is the smallest region in Italy and is in the north-west, between France and Switzerland. Its core is its majestic peaks in this mainly mountainous region, centred around the highest parts of the Alps; Cervino, Mount Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the king of them all, Mont Blanc, which at ...
Italy, a land of well-being Feeling good in Italy is easy. This country boasts the largest number of thermal spa centres in the world, with a tradition of body and soul treatments that dates back thousands of years - to ancient Rome. Throughout the country, from north to south, it is ...
Italy, a land of coasts and beaches Italy is the ideal destination for a seaside vacation. It boasts around 8,000 km of coastline, lapped by the waves of the Adriatic, the Tyrrhenian, the Ionian, the Ligurian, and the Sardinian Seas. From north to south, stretches of sandy beaches alternate with ...
Italy, a land of lakes Italy has many lakes; in fact, there are over a thousand , renowned for their incomparable beauty and each is characterized by distinct features. Lakes Garda, Maggiore, and Como, now well-known throughout the world, have become ideal destinations for spending ...
A land of religion and spirituality As the heart of one of the world's most significant religions , Italy has always been a destination for those who have made their faith a way of life and who wish to explore the roots of a world that has produced art, architecture, and objects of ...
Dopo un autunno, passato tra degustazioni di vino, feste tradizionali e caldi piatti tipici a base di castagne, con i Mercatini di Natale e l'apertura dei comprensori sciistici inizia una nuova stagione invernale, ricca di novità e piacevoli conferme. Merano è la seconda città dell'Alto Adige e, trovandosi tra splendide ...
The famous and unique portrait of Federico da Montefeltro painted by Piero della Francesca is not only a great work of art, but also the symbol of the Italian Renaissance. The Ducal Palace of Urbino, around which the ancient capital of Montefeltro is harmoniously perched, is not only an ...
The Circeo National Park was set up in 1934 to safeguard a varied territory in which numerous habitats co-exist in a limited area. The high promontory of the Circeo is covered in Mediterranean rock vegetation, which grows densely down to the cliff, in which there are numerous grottoes inhabited by ...
Here we are in the centre of Urbino, in the square dedicated to the Renaissance, bounded on one side by the Ducal Palace. The square is adorned by an Egyptian obelisk from Rome and on the other side stands the church of San Domenico, now deconsecrated.
The Duke Federico da Montefeltro, who surrounded himself with great artists, ordered Francesco Laurana to build the magnificent Palazzo Ducale, the finest monument in the town. Here we can visit the National Gallery of the Marche, the most important museum in the region. We are standing before the ...
Descending from the Duomo by the steep main street we encounter various monuments and squares, amongst them Piazza della Repubblica with its fine fountain is worthy of note. Returning along Via Raffaello we reach the house where the artist was born and his monument in Piazza Roma, at the top of the ...
